Cincinnati Reds second baseman Jonathan India paused to consider the question before realizing that he didn’t have an answer for it.
On Sunday at Great American Ball Park, the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Reds, 4-3, to sweep the series and take a two-game lead in the NL Central over the Reds. It was the fourth straight game where the usually dynamic Reds offense struggled. And it was another day in a frustrating month for India.
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Over his last 30 games, India is hitting .183 with a .669 OPS. Heading into this weekend’s series against the Brewers, Reds manager David Bell moved India down into the bottom half of the lineup for the first time since India’s rookie season.
India is still looking for answers
When India was asked about his slump, he reflected on the fact that he’s still a young player who doesn’t have all of the answers.
“This game is tough, and it’s only my third year,” India said. “I don’t know. I’ve never been through this.”
India, 26 years old, is already one of the most experienced position players on the Reds. Joey Votto is the only player on the entire roster who has played in more Reds games than India. The 2021 NL Rookie of the Year has become the tone setter and the de facto captain of a young Reds roster in 2023, but he’d be the young guy on most contending teams.
In the three-game series against the Brewers, during a stretch where the Reds desperately needed a breakthrough run in the three close games, India only came up with one base hit in 11 at-bats.
“It’s been tough mentally for me,” India said. “I’ve never struggled like this. Like I say every time, I need to stick to my process and trust myself. All I can do is show up every day and play. I can’t force anything. I can’t try to be a hero.”
Even though India isn’t getting results, the underlying advanced metrics paint a more positive picture of his season. In most areas, India is the same hitter that he was as a rookie when he was one of the most effective leadoff hitters in baseball. On average, he’s hitting the ball even harder than he did in 2021, and India is still striking out less often than he did as a rookie.
There are two notable negative differences in the hitter that India has been in 2023. He’s not getting to his best swing and barreling line drives as often as he did as a rookie. And he’s drawing walks significantly less often.
Bell: India is chasing results
“He’s doing a little bit of what all hitters do, especially the ones that are good and competitive,” Bell said. “They care a lot about doing well and contributing to the team. You just start chasing results, basically.
“Getting back to being patient in a way is really hard to do. You want to win every single game for the team and make up for any lost time. It just doesn’t work that way. It’s very normal. It’s a good thing. Being able to really not get into it or give up but say there’s nothing more I can do, I have to trust my ability. I can’t go out of the zone to hit two home runs in the same at-bat. I really have to take what’s given to me. That’s what’ll get him back on track.”
On paper, there’s much less pressure on India as a hitter than there was last season. Playing for a 100-loss team in 2022, India initially tried to hit homers and carry the Reds’ offense with his power. India recognized later in the year that this approach was a mistake for him, and he turned his 2022 season around when he got back to a simpler approach.
This year, India says his approach is hitting hard line drives and stringing good at-bats together. As the No. 5 hitter in the new-look Reds’ lineup, India can be a table setter for two of the Reds’ best power hitters in Joey Votto and Spencer Steer, who hit directly behind him.
As the Reds look to bounce back from their most discouraging series of the season, India is looking for the best approach to respond to one of the most frustrating stretches of his young career.
“Baseball is a very hard sport, physically and mentally,” India said. “This will happen to a team. It’ll happen to everyone. When you run into a staff like the Brewers, it doesn’t make it any easier. You’ve got to give credit where credit is due. That’s a heck of a pitching staff and a heck of a bullpen. That’s the best in the league, to be honest with you. We have such a good team. It’ll turn for us.”
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Reds second baseman Jonathan India is working to overcome slump